Contact:
Jim Cyr
Communications Director
Office of the Maine Senate President
(207)287-1501

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bill to End Taxpayer-Funded Post-Election Parties Sent to Committee
Senator Ron Collins Sponsors Legislation He Calls Abuse of Clean Election System

AUGUSTA – Maine State Senator Ron Collins (R-York) is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit the use of taxpayer money for post-election celebrations in the State of Maine. The bill, LD 408,”An Act To Prohibit Taxpayer-funded Campaign Expenditures from Being Used on Post-election Parties,” has been referred to the Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee.

The legislation concerns funding that Maine Clean Elections candidates receive to use in their campaigns for elective office. Under current law, that money can be used for celebrations following the election.

“There are differing opinions on the Clean Election system, itself, and whether taxpayer money should be used to fund political campaigns. But I think we can all agree that hard-working Maine citizens shouldn’t have to pay for parties after the election. It is clearly an abuse of the system and it’s time to put a stop to it.

“This week I learned that my opponent in the last campaign used $500 in Clean Election money for a post-election ‘celebration.’ Surely there is a better use for these funds.”

The VLA Committee is expected to take up LD 408 as early as this week.

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